'I was tipped as next Harry Kane but Tottenham sold me – now I have seven goals in four games'
Former Tottenham Hotspur starlet Troy Parrott is living up to his tag as 'the next Harry Kane' in the Netherlands after scoring seven goals in four games for AZ Alkmaar. The 23-year-old left Spurs to join AZ in a £6.7million deal in July 2024, with his former club securing a substantial sell-on clause in the agreement.
Parrott initially joined Tottenham back in 2017 at 15 from Irish team Belvedere, but despite high expectations, he only managed to make four appearances for the senior squad. He even left with some stars warning that Spurs could be making an error in letting him go.
Branded as Ireland's best prospect since ex-Tottenham star Robbie Keane, the forward was also hailed as the next Kane while on the books at Spurs due to the pair's similarities on the pitch.
Although he didn't quite live up to the praise in north London, the Irish forward is now proving his worth in Holland with a series of impressive performances. Parrott was also part of the AZ team that lost to Spurs during their successful Europa League campaign last season.
Parrott has already scored three goals in two matches against Finnish side Ilves Tampere and two against Liechtenstein's Vaduz, both in Europa Conference League qualifying this summer. He also bagged a brace in AZ's 4-1 victory over FC Groningen in the Dutch Eredivisie's opening match at the weekend.
During his time at Spurs, Parrott had five loan spells with Millwall, Ipswich, MK Dons and Preston, experiencing varying levels of success. However, it was a temporary switch to the Eredivisie with Excelsior that truly launched his career.
The forward netted 17 times for the struggling outfit. He has also earned 29 senior caps for the Republic of Ireland, finding the net on five occasions.
But what did he make of those weighty comparisons to Kane? He told The Athletic in April 2022 that he was determined he was going to carve his own path.
"Obviously, I want to be my own player," he said. "But Kane is so good in terms of his finishing, his passing - why wouldn't I try and take little bits from there?"
"But it's not only taking bits from Kane because he plays for Tottenham. It's taking things wherever you can that will make you better. It's not annoying in any way [the comparisons], it's just how it is. When you see him on TV, you don't get to see him going to the gym before training, you don't get to see the way he trains every day.
"That's something everyone should take. There's no downside to having that relentlessness in your game. I look at that and think to be at that level these are the things you need to do."
Spurs are now accelerating their hunt for offensive reinforcements following the exit of club legend Son Heung-Min and the injury to James Maddison, which could potentially rule him out for the bulk of the campaign.
Spurs boss Thomas Frank has been busy in the transfer market, securing five new faces for the squad. Permanent deals have been concluded for Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel, Kevin Danso, Luka Vuskovic and Kota Takai, while defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha has joined on loan from Bayern Munich.
Rumours are also swirling around a move for Manchester City's winger Savinho, with a transfer to Spurs seemingly gaining traction. Speculation is also rife about potential moves for Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze and Leicester City's Bilal El Khannouss.
Spurs cleverly included a 20 per cent sell-on clause in the deal that saw Parrott head to AZ. The club are keeping their fingers crossed for a tidy sum from any future sale of Parrott, or even a bargain return to north London - a possibility they might explore in their quest for more goals.
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